Once Upon a December
by SunshineandFlamingoes
Summary: A mysterious explosion left America in ruins and everyone's memories wiped out. This is how Donna finds her way back to her rightful place.
1. CHAPTER ONE: America

ONCE UPON A DECEMBER-A West Wing fanfiction tale

Disclaimer: It would be nice to own a piece of West Wing , but I don't. Everything belongs to Aaron Sorkin.

CHAPTER ONE: America

A thin figure walked across the snow covered streets of the wasteland. Her only light is the moon. Her long shadow, her only companion, stretches over the thick white blanket. She passes by the burnt and broken buildings and the men and women who shared her fate. She looks up and around. Only remnants and ruins of a place they used to call America met her eyes. Crumbling structures, thick fog, poverty, illness, despair. These are the only things she has known and remembered ever since she opened her eyes.

She hears whisperings though. Rumors, maybe. This wasteland used to be called America and it used to be beautiful. Beautiful, until that day when a mysterious explosion wiped everything out. Even their memories.

Now they are ruled by a corporation, and everyone are merely remembers anything. Nobody remembers who they were before the explosion. And even if they did remember, what does it matter? The forces are to mighty to overcome.

She doesn't know if she should be lucky to have survived such devastation. Imagine having to wake up, looking around you, feeling grateful to be alive, and then realizing that you don't know who you are.

She doesn't know anything, and she has left it at that. This is her now. No use trying to find what has passed.

She calls herself Donna. But that's all she remembers.


	2. CHAPTER TWO: Facade

Disclaimer: Owning a piece of West Wing is awesome. Unfortunately (or fortunately), all of it belongs to NBC, Aaron Sorkin, and all the other powers that be.

CHAPTER TWO: Facade

The building had an eerie look to it. People go around saying it used to be a manor. Some say it is now haunted. Others say it used to be a school. They heard some people call it the "White House", but they laughed it off. The house was anything but.

Donna stood before the rusted fence. She stared at the people who've taken up residence in the front lawn. She wondered how come no one decided to settle _inside _the place.

She averted her gaze to the building itself. She could see why. This building, this purported majestic house, this so-called "White House" is one big wreck. The East Wing is completely devastated, but the West Wing still stands defiant. Most of the roof had already caved in. Graffiti and other blemishes tarnished its façade. The windows are shattered. From outside, one could see only darkness inside.

She stepped from the fence and started to walk away. There is nothing to see here.

She walked, and then paused. The gate was wide open, swinging lightly with the wind.

Anyone could simply walk in.

Curiosity killed the cat.


	3. CHAPTER THREE: December

Disclaimer: The West Wing is a shiny and pretty thing which I'd like to own. Unfortunately, there is no chance at all that Aaron Sorkin and NBC and the powers that be would give TWW to me, which is fine. The song used here, "Once Upon A December" from the movie "Anastasia" is not my property either.

Note: If you've ever seen "Anastasia", you'd know that I just totally ripped this scene off.

CHAPTER THREE: December

Donna walked up the a door somewhere in the West Wing's side. It was hidden from everyone else, which was a good thing since she can't handle anymore bums grabbing her and stretching out their hands asking for food, when they all know very well that she was just like them. She didn't have anything too.

Exhausted, she sat on the cement. She wondered what strange impulse caused her to walk all the way to this concealed area if nothing would be waiting for her there. She stared at the door, it's cracked paint and broken glass. Absentmindedly, she stood up, slipped her hand through one of the window's cracks, and unlocked the door.

She entered and was immediately greeted with a musty smell. She coughed from the dust and rubbed her eyes. The sunlight from outside was enough to help her look around.

An unusual familiarity set upon her. Déjà vu, they say.

The room was round. The remaining paint showed that the walls used to be white. The carpet was blue (at least, it looked like it was), and there was an odd and mysterious seal on it. A huge desk was at the front. Maybe someone very important used to live here. She hopped up on the desk and sat on it.

Had she been here before?

She decided to spend the night. After all, it felt like home in such a short span of time.

As she lay down one of the couches (because the other one looked like a thousand cats clawed on it) and her mind was ready to drift off to sleep, she heard the oddest thing.

Music. From outside.

Quickly, she ran and opened the nearest door. She was flooded with a sea of light.

She was now in a room with paintings on it. But the thing is, the paintings weren't chipped, the couches weren't clawed, and the air wasn't musty. She looked back at the round room and was amazed at what she saw.

By some sort of magic, the place seemed to be restored to its former glory. As if no bomb ever dropped and no company ever took over and everything was what it should be.

She was about to look around the room once more when the sounds music and lively banter called out to her. She ran out the room and into the halls. Everything was clean, shiny, brand-new even. It is definitely not the world she remembers.

Is she dreaming?

She ambled around the halls, trying to see what life may have been before, but the relentless sounds kept on calling. She followed the music.

People started appearing out of nowhere. As if they were ghosts and spectres. They all looked so familiar to her. Inside, she had a strong feeling that she knew all of them, and they all knew her too.

Was this family?

More people filled the place. They were all dressed up, as if going to a party. She too, was dressed like them. She was wearing a black gown, and ringlets framed her face. She continued on.

Finally, she arrived in front of a wide entrance to big hall. From the outside, she saw lights streaming down the walls and big chandelier on the ceiling. People were waltzing in the middle of the room. She started to walk towards the ball, but then hesitated.

What if…?

She erased those thoughts and continued her slow walk. Someone was walking by her side. It was a woman. Very beautiful and very tall, with brown hair which framed her face. She gave Donna a comforting smile, and then got whisked away to the ball by a man with a sort of scruffy face.

She was now inside the room. And while at the back of her mind the situation was impossible, it still felt so real to her. Everything was still a kind of muddle, but before she was able to make sense of everything, she was whisked away to the dance floor.

Now she is dancing with a very dapper man. He had a dark brown beard and a serious expression, but before she could find out who he was she suddenly turned.

And now she is dancing with a young and incredibly handsome man. She giggled and couldn't believe her luck. But then she turned yet again.

This time she was dancing with a man who was older than the first two. His face showed wisdom, and his smile…the warmest she'd ever seen her whole life. Another turn.

And now she was dancing with someone she seemed to know her whole life. His face. His eyes. His expression. The way he held her close that she may never escape.

She didn't want to turn again.

The waltzing gradually slowed to a gentle rocking. He simply held her there, very still. Her arms were still draped over his shoulders, and she bent her head slightly so that their foreheads were in contact. She stared into his eyes as her stared into hers. Her eyes closed.

"Hey!"

A voice awoke her.

"Hey you!"

She opened her eyes and looked around. She was standing in the midst of ruins.

The dream was over.

"Helooo-oooo?"

She turned to the direction of the voice. Over there, in the shadows.

She couldn't see her face, only her red hair shining in the sunlight.


	4. CHAPTER FOUR: Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own TWW. It is owned by Aaron Sorkin who will soon win an Oscar for writing "The Social Network".

Note: Have you seen the Entertainment Weekly Reunions issue? The West Wing gang looks amazing! Anyway, I'll keep this chapter short and sweet (as with all the other chapters). Have you guessed who the red-haired lady is?

CHAPTER 4: Hope

The man gripped his flashlight tightly, as if letting it go meant certain death. He crept around the ruins, formerly known to him as the Communications bullpen. He groped around the place until he found a candle and some matches sorely needed for when night falls and everything goes dark. He lit it, and then settled down to a broken old chair. He found it quite miraculous that it could still serve its purpose.

Even after staying here for a month, he still couldn't get used to the broken down state of his old workplace. He kept the flooding memories at bay by distracting himself with old documents, legislatures, bills, and other things which he found scattered around. These could be valuable once they get their plan in action.

After and hour or so, he heard running down the hall. He went back to his papers.

"Josh…"

"No, Margaret, I will not discuss the high-calorie raisin muffins again." He tried to shoo away his "intruder".

"No it's not that…"

"Nobody cares about calories right now. I bet they'd just want something…edible." His eyes were still on the document he held.

"Josh! Look at me!" the woman in front of him yelled, which is something he'd never heard before.

The man, whom we now call Josh, removed his attention from the papers and looked up at the red-haired lady before him, whom we now know as Margaret. He was surprised to find her eyes brimming with tears.

"I found her, Josh…"

His eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. They found a part of their team.

"Who was it? Who did you find?" He dropped his papers and stood.

"I found Donna."

At the mere sound of her name, Josh raced down the halls. A tiny speck of hope returned.


End file.
